November 28

Curious Contrail: What was it?

Late Wednesday the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) received unverified reports of what appeared to be a contrail of unknown origin in the vicinity of the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean.

Initially, it was reported to be heading northwestward toward the United States. Commercial airline pilots later reported the contrail over Florida and later over
Indiana. Thereafter, no other sightings were reported.

In a Pentagon-released statement Thursday, it was noted that NORAD scrambled fighter aircraft from several bases in an attempt to intercept and identify
the source of the contrail. No visual or confirmed radar contact was made with the source of the contrail. NORAD continues to investigate these
reports.

NORAD is coordinating with the FAA to determine any further information on the nature of these reports, the Pentagon statement said.

-- Leonard David
 

Commission's Vision Doesn't See Moon or Mars

The final report from the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry released last week punted on declaring a NASA destination goal, like returning to the Moon or planting footprints on Mars.

"We think that's the old way of looking at visions," Commission chairman, Robert Walker, told SPACE.com. "We would like to look at a vision for space that expands the opportunities available to us beyond single point goals," he said.

Walker said that what's needed first is a "political imperative" - which is time sensitive.

"It was one thing to talk about going to the Moon in a matter of a couple of weeks. It's another thing to talk about going to Mars where you are talking about years of the mission. If you could cut that time from months to weeks, it's very possible that the political establishment will then see that as something that is possible to do& something that has to be done," Walker said.

Walker said the Commission supports investment in propulsion technology. "That really does help create the imperative that allows you to do the exploration of the solar system -- human and unmanned -- in a meaningful way inside of the first half of the century," he said.

-- Leonard David

November 26

X-37 Rises From the Ashes

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Hoping to develop technology to replace its aging space shuttles, NASA has awarded Boeing a $301 million contract to complete the X-37 spaceplane.

St. Louis-based Boeing Phantom Works announced Monday it will complete its X-37 Approach and Landing Test Vehicle and conduct flight tests as part of the Space Launch Initiative, a $4.8 billion NASA program.

"The X-37 is a technology demonstrator, just proving certain technologies that will ultimately lead to a replacement for the space shuttle," said Bill Cole, a spokesperson for Phantom Works.

With the contract, Boeing will complete the final assembly of the unmanned X-37 and conduct a flight test in April 2004.

The contract also initiates a design for an additional X-37 long-duration orbital vehicle, scheduled to be tested in July 2006.

The plane, 27.5 feet long with a wingspan of 15 feet, is in final assembly at the Boeing Phantom Works X-Vehicle Assembly Facility in Palmdale, Calif.

When fielded, the unpiloted and autonomously operated X-37 will be the only X-vehicle capable of conducting continuous on-orbit operations for up to 21 days.

The vehicle also will serve as a test bed for approximately 30 airframe, propulsion and operation technologies, such as a high-temperature thermal protection system.

November 25

U.S. Launches Second Scud for Anti-Missile Research
 
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, California (AP) -- The U.S. military launched a Scud missile Monday to obtain data for use in developing missile defense systems.

The missile lifted off from a mobile launcher, reached an altitude of 281,000 feet (84,300 meters) and traveled 186 miles (300 kilometers) before it fell into the Pacific Ocean, Missile Defense Agency spokesman Chris Taylor said. The test was conducted to obtain flight data, and did not involve an intercept attempt, he said.

It was the military's second launch this month of a Scud, a ballistic missile that was developed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s and is now in the arsenals of at least 25 nations, including Iraq.

The launch was part of a $13 million program to help develop an advanced version of the Patriot anti-missile system and other defense technologies, officials said.

The Patriot was put to the test during the 1991 Gulf War, when Iraq fired about 90 Scuds. Forty-three landed in Saudi Arabia and 39 in Israel. One hit a U.S. barracks in Saudi Arabia, killing 28 soldiers. A congressional report found that Patriots downed only four Scuds.

The Scud is difficult to hit because it wobbles wildly in flight.

A Call for Planetary Defense

The final report of the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry, released last week, calls for the Department of Defense (DoD) to take on the role of planetary defense.

The Commission noted that the U.S. Air Force is looking into use of satellites for detecting and tracking human-made satellites in Earth orbit. That effort should be broadened, the study group advised, to include detection of asteroids.

Given Air Force study and other military space reviews underway, "planetary defense should be assigned to the DoD in cooperation with NASA," the report states.

"The day will arrive when an asteroid is discovered on a collision course with Earth. The more we know about their orbit and structure, the more effective we can be in attempting to deflect it from harm's way," the Commission report concludes.

-- Leonard David

Missed something from last week? Astronotes